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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28031433">children of the sun</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/shepherd/pseuds/shepherd'>shepherd</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Final Fantasy XV</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Canon Compliant, Canonical Character Death, Gen, Siblings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-12-12</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-12-12</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-10 23:22:16</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,203</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/28031433</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/shepherd/pseuds/shepherd</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Gladio and Iris see each other again in the first touch of dawn.</p>
<p>Written for day 7 of Gladio Week, for the prompt 'It looks better on you',</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Gladiolus Amicitia &amp; Iris Amicitia</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>3</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>18</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Collections:</b></td><td>Gladio Week</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>children of the sun</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>A breathless laugh escaped Gladio’s carefree chest, wheezing and awkward, but his smile rivalled the bold sunshine. There was exhaustion written over his expression barely obscured by the grime and sweat he wore – the darkness of his eyes, the sag of his brows. It cast deep shadow, but Iris saw easily past the darkness.</p>
<p>Uncertain, disbelieving, she stood shaking. Long spent tears had dried against her cheeks, but they threatened to fall again. She still clutched her phone, the old charm filthy and torn. “Gladdy,” she tried, and her voice wavered.</p>
<p>Even as the sun crest the horizon, she only had eyes for her brother. The miserable black sky gave way to deep grey, velvet blue, and the softest touch of gold. Shadows stretched and the Citadel’s reach grew further than it had in a decade. Iris was quickly swallowed by its might. “Gladdy,” she called again and broke out into a run. Ruined roads sprayed stone and chunks of tarmac.</p>
<p>Beyond him were familiar figures. Ignis and Prompto were arm in arm, heads bowed low. Their uniforms were awash with blood and ichor. Gladio stepped forward in a rush, throwing his arms wide, and Iris cleared the ground quickly, landing solidly against his chest.</p>
<p>The years changed nothing. His arms were loving and strong. These days she was few inches too tall and built with too much muscle to be easy for most to carry and still Gladio lifted her with little effort. Like she was merely a child again, his kid sister. Iris missed those days sorely. In the darkness they had been laughably out of reach.</p>
<p>Squeezing him tight, the tears began anew. “Thank the astrals,” she said, tangling her hands together around his back. “I… I don’t know what I would have done.”</p>
<p>It was easy to feel safe in her big brother’s arms. His palm was huge against his shoulder blades and his hand passed backwards and forwards, a weak laugh tickling the hair curling around her ears. “We did it,” he said, eyes cast towards the sunrise. “It’s done. It’s over.”</p>
<p>A fierce pride overtook her heart. Pain and worry and dread lay underneath, never far from her thoughts, but the warmth of the sun gave her joy. No more cowering. No more fighting. “I’m so proud of you,” she said, calling to the others, and Gladio squeezed tighter. “I’m so damn proud.”</p>
<p>They breathed harshly together. Her tears soaked his hair. The absence of a fourth figure cut deep and Iris could not speak his name with ease. Their king had sounded so tired even after all those years of rest. The memory would stay within her bones.</p>
<p>“It’s done,” Gladio said again as if disbelieving. Iris understood. The sunlight was not yet warm, but it prickled her skin with a sudden shiver wracking her, and Iris wondered if it could all have been a dream.</p>
<p>Between her finger and thumb she took the skin of her wrist. She twisted hard and the pain ached, protesting such rough treatment. Even so she didn’t dare believe that it could be real.</p>
<p>Finally Gladio set her down. Her boots were heavy and her jacket thin. Gladio was the warmest thing she had known in quite some time. But he refused to let her go, bundling her in his arms still. His chin rest upon her crown and he stroked over her hair. Iris could smell the blood.</p>
<p>Iris wondered what he had seen. What he had done, and the true extent of the price to pay. Perhaps the cost was too dear. Perhaps the weight could never be lifted from his heart. Gasping, she threaded her hair through his hair, as thick and tightly coiled as her own. Her brother, in the glow of sunrise.</p>
<p>Someone approached from behind. Heavy footsteps and a limping gait. “Boys,” Monica said, breathless. Her hand ghosted along the small of Iris’ waist and then lingered on Gladio’s bicep. “Come and get some rest. You must be exhausted.”</p>
<p>“Thank you,” Prompto said and his voice was torn. It was smaller than it had ever been before, and Iris had limited room in her overburdened heart for grief and sympathy. A sickness filled her belly with the pain.</p>
<p>Still Gladio didn’t let her go. He didn’t let her go for a long time. Every part of him shook and Iris leaned into him, seeking the thump of his heart. “Gladdy,” she murmured, and he shook even harder.</p>
<p>Steadily, as if it had forgotten how, the sun crawled across the sky. Iris could scarcely see it with her head in Gladio’s chest but the chill of everlasting night gradually faded. It never grew too bright – Iris had half-forgotten herself, but they sat within the early winter days, dour and slow, quiet and still. Once Iris had found the winter days boring and exhausting with her birthday the only bright spark. She would never take a moment for granted again.</p>
<p>Letting go was hard. Seeing Gladio’s exhausted but genuine smile was easy. He smoothed back her greasy hair and his chest shook with laughter. “I can’t believe it.”</p>
<p>Iris could have stood here forever. But she took his hands, squeezing them. “You need something to eat,” she said. “And to rest and be with family. Let’s go, okay?”</p>
<p>It would have been easier to pull the tide across the sands. Gladio was rooted to the ground. He braced his hands against Iris’ shoulders, keeping her away kindly and looking her up and down, disbelieving. “Can’t believe you’re the same little girl who ate grass when I wasn’t looking.”</p>
<p>Heat bloomed across her cheeks. “No, I didn’t,” she lied, kicking lightly at his knees with her steel toe boots. “Shut up.”</p>
<p>His eyes travelled across to her arms. The ink was nothing he hadn’t seen before – the same black lines as his own, intricate feathers and the shadows they cast. They were years old now and still in good condition. Iris took excellent care of her birth right. It was the only one that remained to her.</p>
<p>Gladio’s smile never ceased. “Guess you’ll have to start protecting this from the sun now,” he told her, laughing weakly. His thumb stroked across her bare shoulder, his expression endlessly proud.</p>
<p>“As soon as you start looking after yours,” Iris teased, but his arms quickly closed around her again. She happily stepped forward for him, not minding the smell of stale sweat, embraced by the very best of her future.</p>
<p>They stood there a long while. No one dared disturb them, even as the glaives emerged into the weak sunlight, expressions disbelieving and jaws slack. A flurry of voices filled the morning air, growing excitable and overjoyed, tears of relief and shock. Iris knew them all well but ignored their calls, focused only on her big brother.</p>
<p>“It looks better on you,” Gladio murmured as the tears began to blur his vision, her feathers becoming smudges like charcoal fingerprints, and Iris laced her fingers with his. They were so small, so pale – so strong. Gladio’s hands were filthy. Torn nails carried dried blood beneath.</p>
<p>Against his ear, Iris sighed softly, and refused to let go as Gladio began to sob.</p>
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